Instant cricket takes centre stage

Graeme Smith strikes an unbeaten 64 to take Somerset home during last year's final © Getty Images

The purists (and the Indian board) might loathe it - and reports at the weekend indicated that some players are not big fans- but Twenty20 cricket returns for the next fortnight, and there is every indication that the massive crowds who have flocked to games in the last three years will again turn out to give county's finances a massive boost.

It seems an age ago that the concept was greeted with such skepticism that most counties opted to play games at outgrounds rather than risk matches taking place against a backdrop of sparsely populated major venues, and also felt the need to provide a mass of extra attractions to try to lure people through the turnstiles. It soon became clear that not only were the outgrounds too small, but that even the bigger arenas would struggle to cope with demand and that the cricket itself was enough of a draw.

Fears that the counter attraction of the World Cup would reduce interest this year have also proved unfounded. Last summer, Lord's sold out for the match between Middlesex and Surrey. A warm June evening and 30,000 people watching a county game. The 2006 competition kicks off with the same fixture, and again a virtual capacity crowd is expected, even if the weather is less welcoming.

It's the same story across the country, and the Roses match at Old Trafford on July 7 is already ticket only. Surrey expect around 22,000 at The Oval for at least two of their four matches. The limited capacities at venues such as Leicseter, Uxbridge, Richmond and Beckenham could be sold out three times over.

In the next 15 days, 72 matches will be played and the ECB says that advance ticket sales now total over 200,000, an increase of more than 25% on 2005. England may be fast losing interest in one-day internationals, but the public have embraced Twenty20.

The three regional zones will produce eight sides (the top two plus the two best third-place finishers) who play quarter-finals on July 24 and the winners of those matches go into the finals weekend at Trent Bridge on August 12.

With the holders, Somerset, without two of the men - Graeme Smith and Ian Blackwell- who were key to their success, Lancashire are the favourites at odds of around usually of 7-1, with a resurgent Surrey not far behind at 10-1.

Midlands/Wales/West Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Worcestershire

North Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire

South Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex